humphrey



I. G. HUMPHREY.

DEVICE FOR PROPE'LLING VESSELS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 29. I918.

Patented Sept. 9,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- JERRY G; HUMPI-IREY, 01 iJACKSONVIIJLEuELORIDA.

nnvicn non rnornttiiielvnssnns,

Specification of LettersTatentl Application filed March 29; 1918. seria no. 225,563;-

To all whomz't mag concern:

Be it known that I, JERRY G; l-IUM PHREY,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Jacksonville, in the-county of Duval and Eitate of Florida, have invented new and useful Improvements in Devicesfor Propelling'Vessels,' of which the following is a Specification. I y a This lnventlonrelates todevices ifor propelling" and for assisting in the prop-ulslon of vesselsand the inventionisin the nature of a collapsible device which when fOI'C-lblIY projected in a rearward directionwith respect to the vesselon which 1t is mounted will expand and'cause the vessel to-be driven forwardly While, by its retractive movement, the devicewill be folded sofas" to present relatively small resistancetothe progress of thevessel.

One objectof the invention is toproduce a simple andim prov'ed collapsible propulsion device of the characterdescrib'edi Afurther object o fgtheinvention is to produce a simple and improvedlneans for supporting the propulsion device and for actuating the same.

Further objects of theinvention are tosimplify and improve the construction and arrangement of the detailed parts enterlng intothe contructionof the device; y

With these and other ends in View which will readily appear asthe natureoit' the in vention isbetter'understood; the saine' consists in theiimprovedconstruction and novel arrangementv and combination of parts which will' be" hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed ont in the claims;

In the accomp anyi'ng" drawings has been illustrated simple" and preferred form of the invention, it being, however, understood that no limitation is l-l iecessarily made to the 1 preciset structural details therein exhibited, f but that changes, alterations-1' and modiiicamaybe" tions within: the scope of the claims resorted to when desired.= i

In thedrawingss l a Fig. 1 isa'side elevation, partlyin section, showing a portion of a vessel to which the invention has been applied.

Fig. 2 is1a longitudinal sectional View of a part of the same. g 3 a i 1 Fig. Sis/a. p-l an .view of? the collapsible propulsion device showing the same col- Fig. 4 is a plan view of the propulsion device showing the same partly extended.

Fig. 5 is a rear elevation of the propulsion device showing the same extended.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are denoted by like characters of reference:

The body 15 of the improved propulsion deviceconsists ofa flat rectangular plate with the=side edges of which wings on doors 16 are connected by hinges 17 Secured on the rearward face ofthe-p-late 15 near the ends thereofare rods OIheepers 18., the sa-nie be- 111g disposed 1n longitudinal alineinent with of the plate 15 and another terminal arm 23 which is provided with a hook 24v engaging one of the limbs of the yoke 19. The

Patented se ta, 1919.

on each ofthe rods 18 is a yoke 19 the bridge springs 21 are so constructed and arranged that through the medium of the yokes 19 and links 20 they will serve to exert a clos ing action onthe two doors, tending to swing said doors tothepositionshownin Fig; 3, approximately at right angles to the plate 15.

The plate15 is provided with a centrally disposed Socket25= through which passes a rod 26-:Jcarrying ahead 27 whereby movement of the plate and 1 related parts in ca rearward direction with respect to the rod 2611s obstructed. Theiheadsfl? isconnected withthe doors 16 by'obliquely disposed links 1 Edythe samebeing connectediwith the doors by means: ofstaples 29- which are of; suffioient dimensions to wperinit'f a certain degree of lost motion when the device isin opera;

tion. A spiralspring 30 is arranged within the :socket25, one'end of said spring bearing against the bottom at the socket and the other end against thd head 27.

In Fig.1 of the drawings. there is shown a portion 31 of the hull of vessel; in which is arranged a stealn cylinder 32 having a reciprocatory piston rod 331w'hichis connected with the forward end of the rod 261 carryingwthe improved propulsion "device, the joint 34 between the piston rod and l the rod; 26 being supported by a cross head: 35

traveling on a guide way 86. The rod26 is guided "througha tubular casing 37 1 which extends through the stern of the vessel, said casing being provided at the ends thereof with stufling boxes 38. The casing 37, the

connection of which with the vessel should.- be perfectly water-tight, is equipped with a downwardly extending branch 39, the outlet of which is closed by the spring actuated valve 40, best seen in Fig. 2. If, during the operation of the device, water should leak within the tubular casing 37, such water will be expelled through the valve branch or passage 39. r r

The vessel, a portion of which is seen in Fig- 1, has been shown as being equipped with a screw propeller41 of ordinary construction, but no driving means for such propeller are shown and claimed. A rudder post 42 carrying-a rudder 43 is stepped at its lower end in a bearing 44 mounted on The wlngs or doors 16 are each pro- ;vided with a bracket 48.

The brackets 48 are connected with the ring or link 47 by means of springs 49, 881d: springs serving at the proper time to exert an opening on the wings or doors 16 in opposition to the closing action of the spring 21. Flexible elements, such as chains 50, are utilized to connect the head 27 with the wings or doors 16, said chains serving to brace the device by limiting theopening movement of by the links 28, the-latter serving to limit the wings or doors;

In the operation of this invention, when the rod 26 is thrust in a rearward direction by the action of the piston rod 33, such action'willbe assisted by expansive action of the spring 30. By the resistance of the water against whichthe device is projected, the

doors or wings '16 will swing open against.

the tension of the springs 21 until further opening of said doors or wings is prevented the opening movement of. the doors. The doors together with the plate 15 will now present a surface of large area against the resistance of the water whereby the vessel will be forcibly projected in a forward direction. By the retracting stroke the closing or collapsing of the doors will be assisted by the springs 21 and at the limit of the retractive movement of the rod 26 with respect to the plate 15 the head 27 will'engage the spring 80 which latter will now act as a buffer to take up the shock. The doors being closed or collapsed by the retractive motion of the opcrating rod, :1 surface of relatively restricted area will be presented to the resistance of the water which will not materially interfere with the progress of the vessel.

Having described the invention what I claim as new is:

1. In a propulsion device for vessels, a rod, means for reciprocating the same, a plate slidably connected with the rod, doors hingedly connected with the plate, spring means for closing or collapsing the doors with respect to the plate and means connecting the doors witlrthe rod for limiting the opening moven'ient of the doors.

2. In a propulsion device for vessels, :1 rod, means for reciprocating the same, a plate having a socket through which the rod slidably extends, a head carried by the rod, a spring mounted in the socket and abutting on the head, doors hingedly connected with the plate, spring means for collapslng the doors with respect to the plate, and links connecting the doors with the head carried by the reciprocatory rod for limiting the opening movement of the doors.

3. In a device of the class described, a plate, rods carried by said plate in longitudinal, alinement near the ends thereof, doors hingedly connected with the'side edges of the plate, yokes swingingly mounted on the rods, links connecting the yokes with the respective doors, springs coiled on the rods and actuating the yokes to close the doors. means for supporting and reciprocating the plate, and means for limiting the opening movement of the doors.

4. In a device of the class described, a plate having doors hingedly connected there- .with, a rod extending slidably through the plate and having'a head, spring means for closing or collapsing the doors, links connecting the opening movement thereof, a tubular casing through which the rod is slidably guided, said casing having a valved outlet and said casing extending through the stern of a vessel, and means for eifccting reciprocatory movement of the rod.

5. In a propulsion device for vessels, a

rod, means for reciprocating the same, a

plate having asocket through which the rod slidably extends, a head carried by the rod, 'a spring mounted in the socket and abutting on the head, doors hingedly connected on the plate, spring means for collapsing the doors with respect to the plate, and means including flexible elements such as chains connecting the doors with the head carried by the reciprocatory rod for limiting the opening movement of the doors.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

JERRY G. HUMPHR-EY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

- Washington, D. G. 

